Gearing



J. H. STARR May 7, 1957 GEARING 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed April 2,1949 TOE J. H. STARR May 7, 1957 GEARING Original Filed April 2, 1949 6Sheets-Sheet 2 J. H. STARR May 7, 1957 GEARING 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 OriginalFiled April 2, 1949 J. H. STARR May 7, 1957 GEARING 6 Sheets-Sheet 4Original Filed April 2, 1949 m? EN UP. 2.. wt m9 8. w: $3 L m #9 m N9 m98 m9 \mQ mm mm. M w .w {gig aw m mm. a a on 6 y 7, 1957 J. H. STARR2,791,127

GEARING Original Filed April 2, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 7, 1957 J. H.STARR' 2,791,127

GEARING.

Original Filed April 2, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheei; 6

United States Patent GEARING John H. Starr, Dodge, Wis., assignor toJohn Deere Van Brunt Company, Horlcon, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsm 8Claims. (Cl. 74-385) This application is a division of my copendingapplication, Serial No. 85,159, filed April 2, 1949, for SeedingAttachment for Disk Tillers.

The present invention relates generally to agricultural implements andmore particularly to planters and similar machines.

The object and general nature of the present invention is the provisionof a new and useful seeding attachment adapted to be mounted on disktillers and similar groundworking machines. More particularly, it is animportant feature of this invention to providea new and improved seedingattachment adaptedto be mounted on a disk tiller and operated from oneof the ground wheels of the tiller. It is also an important feature ofthis invention to provide a seeding attachment with new and improvedmeans for driving the seeding mechanism through a connection with thecastering land wheel, which connection does not appreciably interferewith the castering movements of the ground wheel.

Still further, another feature of the present invention is the provisionof an auxiliary gear change unit adapted to be interposed between theground wheel drive and the seeding mechanism so as to provide forchanging the rate of flow of the seed, as desired.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which: z

Figure 1 is a side viewof the rear land wheel of a disk tiller in whichthe principles of the present invention have been incorporated, theview-also showing the supporting bracket and drive parts associated withthe land Wheel. I

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the rear land wheel andassociated parts shown in Figure 1, certain parts being broken away inorder to show certain portions of the driving connections between theland wheel and the seeding mechanism of the seeding attachment somewhatmore clearly.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail view of the drive mechanism associatedwith the castering ground wheel support, corresponding generally to aview taken along the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view showing one of the optional positions ofthe drive sprocket arranged to operate with the speed-change unit shownin Figures 7 and 8.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the seeding clutch and itscontrol by one of the balls swinga-bly connecting a disk gang to thetiller frame.

Figure 6 is an end view of the clutch and clutch control mechanism shownin Figure 5, corresponding generally to a section taken along the line6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary front elevational view showing thespeed-reducing jackshaft unit adapted to be used whenit is desired to"reduce the quantity of'seed sown per acre. r r

ice

Figure 8 is an end view of the mechanism shown in Figure 7,corresponding generally to a section taken along the line 88 of Figure7. 7

Referring now particularly to Figures 7 and 8, the seeding attachment,in which drive means incorporating the principles of the presentinvention have been provided, is indicated in its entirety by thereference numeral 1 and is shown as mounted on a disk tiller which isindicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 2. The disk tiller 2comprises a main frame 3, together with other parts not shown, such as aplurality of axially aligned gangs of tiller disks and supportingwheels. The above-mew tioned supporting wheels also include a rearcastering land wheel 14 (Figure 2) which is pivotally mounted forlateral swinging movement in a land wheel bracket 15 (Figures 2 and 9)that also forms a part of the frame 3. Preferably, the frame 3 includesan elongated pipe frame member 17 which is made up of a main pipe framemember 18 and one or more auxiliary pipe frame members 19 and 29. Theland wheel bracket 15 has its lower and rear portions connected with theassociated frame pipe section by means including upper and lower lugs 25and held rigidly against lateral movement relative thereto by anysuitable means, such as an arm 26 (Figure 2) fixed to the bracket 15 andengaging a lug 27 on the associated pipe frame member. In this way, thevarious pipe frame members and the wheel-supporting brackets form arigid part of the mainframe 3.

Each disk gang is connected for general vertical move ment relative tothe main frame 3 by means of a pair of bail members 33, the forward endportions 35 of which are rock-ably received in bearing means 34 weldedor otherwise fixed to the lower side of the associated pipe framemember. The rear bail member of each disk gang unit is link-connectedwith the front bail of the next rearward disk gang, whereby contiguousends of adjacent gangs move upwardly or downwardly together relative tothe main frame 3. Suitable means, such as, for example, mechanism likethat shown in the copending application, Serial No. 742,234, filed April18, 1947, by Walter H. Silver and John I. Cantral, now U. S. Patent2,648,270, is provided for simultaneously swinging all of the bailmembers 33-upwardly or downwardly, each relative to the disk tillerframe 3 about the transverse axis formed by the associated bail andportion 35 (Figure 6), for raising or lowering the disk gangs, foradjusting the depth of operation and for shifting the gangs into and outof their transport position. Preferably, theraising and lowering meansincludes one or more springs whereby contiguous ends of adjacent gangsmay move upwardly or downwardly relatively to the other gangunitswhereby the machine readily accommodates passage of the machine overuneven ground. As will be explained later in detail, the swinging actionof at least one of the bail members when the disks are raised andlowered is made use of in controlling the drive to the feeding mechanismof the seeding attachment.

The main frame 3 of the disk tiller includes means for rigidlyinterconnecting the frame pipe members 18, 19 and 20. To this end,adjacent ends of the pipe members are provided with flanges 36 which areapertured to receive connecting bolts 37. Preferably, also, each of thepipe members includes wheel-bracket-receiving lugs 25 so that thelandwheel 14 and associated parts may be connected with any one of the pipemembers, thereby providing for increasing or decreasing the width of themachine by making it possible to take out or add additional disk gangunits and associated frame pipe members. The connections betweenadjacent disk gang bails are so constructed and arranged as to bereadily connectible and disconnectible to facilitate the addition to orremoval of the frame and gang units.

.on the adjacent jackshaft section.

frame member 18 by means of a plurality of supporting.

brackets that are not shown=but which are substantially identical withthose shown at 41- in Figures -8 as supporting auxiliary seed boxesreferred to below. As best shown in Figure 6, eachhopper-supportingbracket 41 comprises front and rear strap members 42and 43 having lower inturned portions 44 which are arraugedto be mountedon a U-shaped support, preferably in the nature of a strap 45 having itsdownturned ends 46 welded to the pipe member 18. The upper ends of thebracket straps 42 and 43 are shaped to receive the hopper or seed box insupporting relation. The lower inturned portions 44 are aperturcd toreceive connecting bolts 47, as best shown in Figure 6. The lowerportion of each seed box carries seeding mechanism 50 of conventionalconstruction which includes a plurality of seed-delivering mechanisms 51and a shaft 52 which extends along the bottom of the seed box fordriving the seed'delivering mechanism 51. Each seeding unit includes ajackshaft section which is supported on the associated supportingbrackets 41 by bearing plates 56 (Figure 5).

The seeding attachment also includes one or more auxiliary seedingattachment units in the form of hoppers or seed boxes, as shown at 61,62, etc. Each of these auxiliary seed boxes are of substantially thesame construction and therefore a description of one will sufiice. Eachof, the auxiliary seed boxes includes an auxiliary seed box 60 having aplurality of seed-distributing mechanisms 63 actuated by a seeding shaft64, and the latter is driven by a gear 66 meshing witha gear 67 Theseeding shaft 64 of the auxiliary unit 62 is driven by an auxiliaryshaft 68 that is interconnected with the main shaft by means of a quickdetachable connection which may be of any suitable construction.

The main auxiliary jackshaft sections constitute a jackshaft which isadapted to be driven, according to the principles of the presentinvention, from the castering land wheel of the tiller, and theconnections for driving the jackshaft from the land wheel 14 will now bedescribed.

The land wheel 14 is shown as mounted for rotation on a stub shaft 81that forms a part of the castering wheel spindle which is indicated inits entirety by the reference numeral 82. Secured to the laterally outerside of the wheel 14 is. a drive sprocket bracket 84 which carries adrive sprocket 85. The upper end of the castering wheel spindle 82includes a vertically extending section 87 that is disposed for swingingmovement within a vertical sleeve 88 which forms a part of the wheelbracket 15 and is connected to the main body of the latter member byupper and lower plates 91 and 92 preferably welded to the sleeve 88 andto the main body of the wheel bracket 15. The upper end of the spindlesection 87 extends generally vertically upwardly beyond the sleeve 88and receives a stub shaft support 94. The support 94 comprises a pair ofL-shaped strap members 95 and 96 having laterally directed horizontalportions 97 and.

98 which are connected, respectively, as by welding, to a pair oftelescopically associated sleeve members 101 and 102, the sleeve member102 fitting snugly over the upper end 103 of the sleeve 88. The strapmembers 95 and 96 include lower or dependingsections 104 and 105 towhich elongated brackets 106 and 107 are welded. These brackets overlapand are apertured, as at 109, to receive a pair of bolts 110 by whichthe two bracket members 95 and 96 are connected together. A stub shaft112 is received in an aperture 113 formed in a depending hanger 114connected at its upper end to the horizontal portion 97 of the strapmember 95, the other endof the stub shaft 112 extending through anaperture 116 in the ver- 4 tical portion 104 of the strap member 95. Ashort piece 117 is welded to the end of the stub shaft 112 and isapertured to receive a bolt'118 by which the stub shaft 112 is held inposition. Mounted for rotation on the stub shaft 112 is a compound gearmember 120 which includes a sprocket 121 and a drive pinion 122. Thelatter member meshes with a bevel gear 123 which is mounted for rotationon the sleeve section 102 and rotates about the axis of the uppersection 87 of the wheel spindle 82. Aperturecl lugs 125 and 126 arefixed to the lower end of the strap sections 104 and 105 and areapertured to receive a pin on which an idler sprocket 127 is mounted forrotation. A drive chain 128 is trained over the drive sprocket 85, thesprocket section 121 of the compound gear 120 and the idler sprocket127. The lugs 125 and 126 are extended rearwardly, as best shown inFigureZ, and are slotted to receive a chaintightener sprocket 129. Bythis means the sprocket 85 on the land wheel 14 drives the compound gearmember 120 and the latter in turn drives the bevel gear member 123. Inorder to keep the several driving parts, just mentioned, in alignment,the bracket 94 is caused to turn with the wheel spindle 82 by means of abolt 131 which is extended through openings in the overlapping portionsof the sleeves 101 and 102 and an opening 132 in the upper end of thevertical spindle section 87. Cooperating with the bolt 131 for anchoringthe support 94 to the land wheel spindle 82 is a lug 134 welded to theland wheel spindle 82, as best shown in Figure 3, and apertured toreceive a bolt 135 which securely fastens the intermediate portion ofthe inner idler support member 126 of the chain-tightener bracket to thelug 134.

A second shaft-supporting. bracket is provided,

7 preferably being in the form of an angled member having a lower socketsection 141 which is rigidly clamped to the wheel bracket sleeve 88 byany suitable means, such as a U-bolt 142. The upper and inner portionsof the bracket 140 are provided with a bearing sleeve section 144 inwhich a stub shaft 145 is journaled. The outer end of the shaft 145carries a pair of apertures 146, for a purpose which will be referred tobelow, and the inner end of the shaft 145, which extends radially withrespect to the axis of swinging movement of the wheel spindle, carries apinion 147 which meshes with the bevel gear 123 generally opposite thedrive pinion 122. The bracket 140 is reenforced by a brace member 150which is bolted, as at 148, to an apertured lug 149 (Figure 2) on thebracket 140 and to a lug 151 welded to the wheel bracket 15. Theassociated end of the brace 150 is threaded and receives a pair of locknuts 152, one on each side of the lug 151. Thus, the bracket 140 isconnected so as to become a fixed part of the disk tiller frame, beingrigidly connected to the land wheel bracket or arm 15, as justdescribed. A sprocket 154' having an apertured hub 155 is mounted on theouter end of the stub shaft 145 and is rigidly connected to the latterby means of a pin 156 insertable in one of the openings 146, thesprocket normally being in the position shown in Figure 3. The pinion147, shaft 145 and adjustable gear 154 constitute the equivalent of asecond compound gear, similar to the compound gear 120 mentioned above.

When the seeding attachment is arranged with the main seed box and oneor more auxiliary seed boxes, 21 sprocket 161 (Figure 6) is mounted onthe jackshaft section 68 and is connected with the drive sprocket 154 bymeans of a driving chain 162. The sprocket 161 is connected to the shaft68 by means of a clutch unit 164 (Figure 5). The clutch unit 164comprises a first collar 165 fixed, as by a set screw 166, to the shaft68, the set screw 166 entering a hole or recess in the shaft 68. Thesprocket 161 includes clutch teeth which cooperate with thecorresponding clutch teeth formed on a companion axially shiftableclutch member 167 which is biased for movement toward the sprocket 161by means of a spring 168. This spring bears at one end against theclutch member 167 and at :the other end against a second collar 169 thatis fixed by means of a set screw 170 to the jackshaft 68. A rockingmember 173 is disposed between the sprocket 161 and the clutch member167, the two latter members having relative axial movement. Theclutch-controlling member 173 is provided with an arm 174 which isapertured and receives the upper end of a controlling link 176, thelower end of which extends through a swivel 177 pivoted to an arm 178that is connected with the adjacent disk gang bail member 33.Preferably, the arm member 178 includes an arm section 179, a collarsection 181 and a pin 182 or the like which connects the collar section181 to the forwardly directed end of the associated bail. 176 carries apair of collars 180, and a spring 185 is disposed between the swivel 177and the upper collar 180. Rocking movement of the associated bail member33, incident to raising and lowering of the disk gangs, acts through thearm 178 and the link 176 to rock the member 174. The latter has anangled face cooperating with an angled face on a stationary member 183which is anchored to the frame as explained below. By virtue of theangled faces on the rocking member 174 and the stationary member 183,the rocking movement of the member 174 acts to engage and disengage theclutch 164. The present invention is not especially concerned with theparticular details per se of the clutch unit 164.

Under some conditions, as when operating in arid sections whererelatively small quantities of grain are sown, it may be desirable toreduce the rate of rotation of the seeding mechanisms below thatnormally required. To this end, I provide knock-out sections in the rearwalls of the main and auxiliary seed boxes, so that when desired aspeed-reducing unit 191 may be mounted on the seed box, for example, onthe rear portion of the seed box of the auxiliary unit 61. Referring nowto Figure 7, the speed-reducing unit 191 comprises a pair of supports193 and 194 mounted by bolts 195 or the like attached to the front wallof the seed box when the knock-out sections 190 are removed. The lowerportions of the brackets 193 and 194 carry bearing means 196 and 197 inwhich a stub shaft 198 is rotatably mounted. Fixed to the shaft 198 is asmall gear sprocket 199 and a larger sprocket 201, both fixed to theshaft 198. The speed-reducing unit 191 is arranged so that the smallersprocket 199 lies in the plane of the seeding mechanism sprocket 161,being connected therewith by a drive chain 202. The larger sprocket 201of the speed-reducing unit 191 receives a drive chain that extends fromthe caster wheel sprocket member 154, preferably the chain 162. However,in order to drive the sprocket 201 from the shaft 154, it is necessaryto reverse the sprocket 154 (Figure 4) so as to bring the plane of thesame laterally outwardly so as to lie coincidental with the plane of thesprocket 201. With the parts arranged in this manner, the rate ofactuation of the seeding mechanism is reduced as compared with the ratewhich obtains when the sprocket 154 on the shaft 145 drives the seedingsprocket 161 directly. It will be understood, of course, that if itshould be desired for the reason to increase the rate of seeding, thesprockets 199 and 201 may be interchanged. A chain tightener 205 for thechain 202 may be provided if desired. Preferably, the chain tightener205 is in the form of a flat spring having a rounded end 206 adapted toride on top of the chain 202 and secured at its upper end, as at 207, tothe seed box 40.

Each seeding mechanism 51 is provided with a seed tube 210, as shown inFigure 6, and in order to prevent interference between the seed tubesand the operating connections for the bail members 33, which are on therear side of the frame pipe members, I provide a number of seed tubesupports 212 which serve to support the grain tubes, particularly whenthe disk gangs are raised. The lower end of each of the seed tubes 210is supported by a rod 213 that is fixed, as by a pair of lock The linking means is such that the drive is taken from a caster ground wheel butthe arrangement is such that the castering of the ground wheel does notinterfere with the proper drive. Also, the drive mechanism is readilyconnected with the seeding shafts irrespective of whether one or more,or none, of the auxiliary seeding units are incorporated in the machine.

Having described the preferred form of my invention,-

it is to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to theparticular details shown and described above, but that, in fact, widelydifferent means may be employed in the practice of the broader aspectsof my invention.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. Caster drive wheel means for a seeder, comprising a pair of pivotallyconnected gear frames, means for mounting said frames on said seeder sothat their axis of pivotal interconnection coincides with the axis ofcastering of said wheel, a shaft carried by each of said frames, a gearmounted for rotation on said seeder about the axis of turning of saidspindle, a gear pinion on each of said shafts meshing with said gear,driving means connected with one of said pinions, and seeder drive meansconnected with the other gear pinion.

2. In a seeding attachment for an agricultural implement having a frame,and a castering wheel spindle swingably connected with said frame, and acaster wheel on said spindle, a caster drive wheel means comprising agear mounted for rotation about the axis of turning of said spindle, abracket attached to the upper end of said spindle so as to turntherewith, means including a part carried by said bracket drivinglyconnecting said gear with said caster wheel, a second bracket attachedto said wheel spindle, and seeder drive means on said second bracketdriven from said gear.

3. Caster drive wheel means for a caster wheel and spindle arrangement,said caster drive wheel means including a vertical sleeve rotatable onsaid spindle, a gear mounted for rotation about said vertical sleeve, agear bracket fixed to said spindle above and below said sleeve so as toturn relative to the latter with said spindle, means including a gearrotatably supported by said gear bracket and meshing with said firstmentioned gear for driving the latter from said caster wheel, a secondgear bracket fixed to said vertical sleeve below said first gear andcarrying a gear member meshing with said first gear, and implement drivemeans connected with said latter gear member.

4. For use with an agricultural implement that includes a frame, a wheelbracket fixedly connected with said implement frame and including avertical sleeve, a ground wheel and a castering Wheel spindle receivingsaid ground Wheel and swingably mounted in said vertical sleeve, theimprovement comprising caster drive wheel means comprising a sprocketattachable to said wheel, a gear rotatable about the upper portion ofsaid vertical sleeve, a gear bracket rotatable relative to said sleeveand attachable to said spindle below said sleeve so as to turn relativeto the latter with said spindle, a shaft carried by said bracket andcarrying a pinion meshing with said gear, a sprocket on said shaft, achain trained over said latter sprocket for driving the latter sprocketfrom the sprocket on said wheel, a second bracket, means on the latterto connect said second bracket with said frame, a shaft carried by saidlatter bracket in radial relation with respect to the axis of turning ofsaid spindle 7 and carrying a pinion meshing with said gear, and driveme'a'ns connected to be driven from said latter shaft.

5. For use in anagricultural implement or the like, driving meanscomprising a pair of pivotally inter-connected frames, a gear membercarried by said frames for rotation about the axis of their pivotalconnection, a stub shaft carried by each of said frames, a compound gearmember mounted for rotation on each of said shafts,

each of said compound gear members including a pinion meshing with saidfirst mentioned gear and a sprocket fixedly connected with said pinion,means including an endless chain trained over the sprocket associatedwith one of said pivotally interconnected frames, for driving theassociated gear members and the other sprocket, and an endless chaintrained over the other sprocket for transmitting the drive to a point ofutilization.

6. For use in an agricultural implement or the like, driving mechanismcomprising a pair of pivotally interconnected frames, a sleeve memberdisposed in the pivot axis of and serving to pivotally connect saidframes, a gear journaled for rotation about said sleeve, a stub shaftmounted in each of said frames, a gear mounted on each of said stubshafts and including a pinion section meshing with said one gear, drivetransmitting means connected with one of said pinion sections, and drivetransmitting means connected with the other pinion section and adaptedto transmit power to a point of utilization.

7. For use in an agricultural implement or the like, driving meanscomprising a pair of pivotally inter-conne'cted frames, a gear membercarried by said frames for rotation about the axis of their pivotalconnection, a stub shaft carried by each of said frames, a compound gearmember mounted for rotation on one of said shafts and including a pinionmeshing with said first mentioned gear and a sprocket fixedly connectedwith said pinion, pinion and sprocket means mounted on the other of saidstub shafts, said last mentioned pinion also meshing with said gearmember, means including an endless chain trained over the sprocketassociated with one of said pivotally interconnected frames, for drivingthe associated gear members and the other sprocket, and an endless chaintrained over the other sprocket for transmitting the drive to a point ofutilization.

8. The combination with an agricultural implement having a driven unitthat includes a pair of laterally spaced apart drive chain receivingmeans, said two means being disposed in generally parallel planes, ofdrive means to drive said unit, including a shaft and a laterallyshiftable' sprocket attachable thereto in either of two positionsaxially thereof, one position being in the plane of one of said meansand the other position being in the plane of the other of said means,and a driving chain connecting said sprocket with one of said drivechain receiving means.

References Cited-in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS140,694 Fulghum July 8, 1873 529,266 Hill Nov. 13, 1894 760,442 Fry May24, 1904 2,235,427 Harris Mar. 18, 1941 2,672,762 Northcote Mar. 23,1954

